The power of positive emotions

On a recent drive to work I listened to an amazing podcast by Michelle Mcquaid on positive leadership. In the program she described a new theory of Well-Being developed by positive psychologist Martin Seligman called PERMA that includes five elements essential to human well-being:

1. Positive Emotions (P)

1. Engagement (E)
2. Positive Relationships (R)
3. Meaning (M)
4. Achievement/Accomplishment (A)

Of all of the elements, the power of positive emotion struck me. According to Mcquaid, positive emotions -- like awe, love, happiness, joy, excitement, enthusiasm, contentment, and gratitude -- have an impact that goes beyond bringing a smile to our faces. Positive emotions can help us perform better at work and help strengthen our relationships. These emotions stimulate the release of dopamine and serotonin, broaden our scope of attention and make us feel safe. They inspire cooperation, collaboration, creativity and the ability to look to the future with optimism and hope.  Longitudinal studies have also shown that positive emotions are associated with increased longevity, can buffer stress and help aid pain management.

 So…how can we experience more of these potent positive emotions? This is a question I occasionally ask myself since I find it easy to get lost in my mind focusing on the negative: the what if's, regrets, losses, and injustice. Part of this is habit, but part of it is due to our evolved "negativity bias", according to Dr. Rick Hanson. It helped our ancient ancestors survive -- ever on the lookout for the saber-toothed tiger and remembering which plants were toxic--, but can pose obstacles while trying to find the silver lining. So...the real question is how can we counteract our evolved negativity bias?

• First we need to ask ourselves what is it that makes me feel good? It might be spending time with friends and family, engaging in hobbies, exercising, getting out in nature, reading an absorbing novel, watching comedy, or cooking a delicious meal. Take a minute to reflect on this and write down a list of pleasurable activities that you can refer to when feeling aimless or pessimistic. We need to make sure there is always room in our lives for these things.
• Then we need to Take in the Good. Since our brains learn from experience, the longer we hold onto an experience the more hardwired we are to feel it. Dr. Hanson's advice to “take in the good” entails taking 5, 10, 20 seconds extra to hold onto the positive experiences and/or emotions as we experience them. Over time this will make positive experiences an inherent part of our memory and an easier state to achieve.
• Find ways to share our positive experiences. Sharing positive emotions has a rippling effect called “positivity resonance”. Feeling good is contagious: seeing smiles makes us want to smile, hearing laughter makes us feel like laughing. So seek out those positive experiences and share them! And we must be sure to surround ourselves with others who evoke that positivity resonance within us! Let's not forget the power of our social networks.
• Practice mindfulness. It not only helps us self-regulate stress, anxiety, and depression, but offers opportunities for enhanced positive emotions throughout the day. Whether through yoga, breathing, or meditation mindfulness can help us separate ourselves from our thoughts and moods and get back in touch with the experience of being alive.
• Ritualize gratitude. I have written previously on the power of gratitude. Author and researcher Shawn Achor has found that writing down three things you are grateful for 21 days in a row can significantly raise your optimism even 6 months later. I also like reflecting on the 5 G's, a method a class member introduced me to where we reflect on a glitch, moment of grace, goal, gratitude, and something good. Whichever method, the more regularly we practice gratitude the more benefits we receive.
• Lastly, we have to remember that it's our thoughts that drive our feelings. If we think that the glass is half empty, it is. If we think the glass is half full, it is. How we think about a situation determines how we  feel, and how we feel makes acting in an optimistic, uplifting way more or less difficult. Our thoughts create our reality.

The moral of the story is that if we want to experience more positive emotions we need to practice some kind of regular mental and emotional exercise. Counteracting the brain’s negative bias is not a passive process. All that said, I do not write this to discount those of us who frequently experience negative emotions. Evidence that shows that a healthy balance of both is important in life. However, positive emotions are worth cultivating. I think that whatever emotions we feel, we should not try to suppress them, feel guilty or ashamed. We should feel them completely, try to trace their origins and choose action: accept them, move forward, seek support and acknowledge the complexity of life. Then, go find that list of the things that you enjoy and do something pleasurable! 

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